


Something is Missing

by TheRookBook



Series: The Rookie (Tumblr Request) [3]
Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Not Beta'd, everyone else is mentioned - Freeform, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23163721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRookBook/pseuds/TheRookBook
Summary: After thinking about it for some time, Lucy decides that something is missing from their lives.I believe this was requested on Tumblr!
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Series: The Rookie (Tumblr Request) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663039
Comments: 13
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I read the prompt for this I knew exactly how I wanted to do it! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the fluff!  
> Join me on Tumblr (@TheRookieBook)!!

It had been six years since she joined the LAPD to the day. Six of the best years of her life. She made new friends, kept old ones, must of most important of all she found herself.  
  
Five years since she completed her rookie year. Lucy had stayed at Mid-Wilshire alongside West and Nolan. Lopez had moved on to become a detective and Harper had cooled her heels in patrol for a while before going back to be a detective. The one that felt the weirdest was Tim. After Grey was promoted to captain, he was tapped to take over the sergeant position at Mid-Wilshire. He was still her boss, but it felt different seeing him in the station most of the time instead of out on the streets.  
  
Four years ago, Tim had asked her out on their first date. She was about to head home after a shift when he had called her in his office. He didn’t beat around the bush, he flat out asked her. Classic Tim Bradford.  
  
They dated for a while. They decided early on to try and keep their relationship as secret as possible early on. That was until they caught hands all over each other, lip-locked by Grey in an unused supply room at the station. He reamed them out big time for how unprofessional it was. They both were given a very stern warning that if it happened again, they would both be getting a permanent letter of reprimand in their file.  
  
Lucy was pacing in the living room of their home, her thoughts running wildly as she waited for Tim to come home. She had been thinking about this for a while now, she wanted something more. Today was her day off and she couldn’t shake the thoughts from her mind. They had gotten married a year and seven months ago, but it felt like something was missing from their lives.  
  
“ _What are you doing_ ,” Tim asked leaning against the front door of their home with a smile as he watched Lucy rub her hands as she paced back and forth completely oblivious of his presence.  
  
Lucy jumped at his voice. Her eyes were wide when she turned sharply to look at him. Her heart rate skyrocketed just at the sight of him. “Your home,” she exclaimed surprised to see him home already. Had she lost track of the time that bad?  
  
“ _Uh yeah I live here,_ ” he teases, sarcasm evident in his tone. “ _What are you thinking about_ ,” he asked finally stepping into the house and closing the door behind him. He laid his jacket on the arm of the couch along with his briefcase. He still wore his uniform, something he only did when he wanted to mess with Lucy because she loved the way he looked in his long sleeves and tie.  
  
“I’ve been thinking,” she stated nervously looking away from him.  
  
“ _Well that’s never good_ ,” he played stepping closer to her. “ _What’s wrong_ ,” he asked his tone now serious upon seeing the anxious look on her face.  
  
“Have you ever wanted something else?”  
  
Tim raised an eyebrow as he stood in front of her. “ _Is this your way of telling me you want a divorce? Because so far it sucks_.”  
  
Lucy rolled her eyes swatting him in the chest. “No. That’s not what I meant,” she said grabbing his tie and pulling him closer to her. Their lips danced together as they stood in the middle of the living room. Her hand twisted up in his tie and his hands ran up and down her sides.  
  
Tim was the first to break away. He rested his forehead on hers as they both caught their breath. “ _What’s got you so worked up_ ,” he asked after a moment.  
  
“Have you thought about our future?”  
  
Tim leaned away from her so he could look at her face. “ _All the time. You, me, maybe a beach, no clothes, a couple of bottles of whiskey and tequila_ ,” he said smoothly a wicked grin crossing his face.  
  
Lucy shook her head smiling herself. “As fun as that might sound, that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. What about kids,” she asked slowly. She had to stifle a laugh at his face.  
  
Both of his brows shot up and he lowered his chin to look at her. It reminded her of that time she offered to set him up on a good date in order to wear short sleeves. “ _Kids_ ,” he said skeptically.  
  
Lucy nodded her head looking into his blue eyes. “A little bit of you, a little bit of me, and a whole lot of love,” she said wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently.”  
  
“ _Are you sure_?”  
  
“Yeah. I mean, we are both stable in our careers. You’re a sergeant and I just completed my first year as a TO. I’m not saying it’s going to happen overnight, but it’s something I’ve wanted for a while. If you’re not ready, then we could-”  
  
He cut her off by pulling her against him and capturing her lips with his. He loved to hear her ramble, but right now he wanted her to be quiet. He cradled her head between his hands as he started to move them back towards the bedroom. The bedroom door bounced off the wall after it was pushed open in a hurry.  
  
Lucy’s hand started to undo this tie as the two fell onto the bed never breaking apart. One of his hands ran down her body until he reached her leg which he hooked around his waist. He felt her pushing against his chest causing him to break away from her for a moment. “So is that a yes,” she asked breathing heavily. Her brown eyes gazing into his blue ones.  
  
A smile danced across his features as he looked down at her. “ _Like you said, it won’t happen overnight, but we can have a lot of fun trying again and again and again_ ,” he said leaning down to kiss her again.


	2. That Missing Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 as promised! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> I am on Tumblr @therookiebook!

Lucy walked down the concrete stairs of the hospital a gleeful smile on her face as she walked towards her car. Five months ago when they started this journey, she never thought they would get here so quickly. She had been a few months ago, but it was peak flu season and she just chalked it up to being bit by the flu bug. The appointment today was just supposed to be a routine check-up, but the little black sonogram in her hand told her it was the start of something new. That missing piece was about to complete their lives.

She was excited, yet at the same time, the nervousness of their new reality was starting to set in. This was something she had dreamed about for a long time, but even more so after she met Tim and they got married. She knew Tim feared just the thought of children. His own childhood was nothing worth remembering, but Lucy knew that he would never do anything intentionally to hurt her or their child. He was not like his father; he was Tim and she loved him for him. Now she just had to figure out how to tell him.

Forty-five minutes later, Lucy walked into the Mid-Wilshire police station a bag of take-out Chinese food from Tim’s favorite restaurant downtown. She had been craving some lo mein for the last three days and he liked the sesame chicken, so it was a win in her book.

His eyes lit up when he saw her walk into his office. “Hey,” he said pushing his chair back and standing to his feet. “How was the doctor?”

“Good,” she replied quickly, the smile returning to her face. Thoughts of the sonogram tucked between the sun visor and roof of her car raced through her mind. “Great. Everything is great,” she said shutting the office door behind her.

Tim hummed taking the bag of food from her and sitting it on the desk before he started digging through the food and separating it accordingly. “Busy day,” she asked taking the container that he was extending her way. Lucy sat down in the chair across from his desk as he settled into his chair on the other side.

“Not too bad,” he said before taking a piece of chicken into his mouth. “Just paperwork. What did the doctor say?”

Lucy had to bite her lip to stop the smile from spreading. “Just the flu. Nothing to worry about,” she said taking a big bite of her noodles. Tim eyed her suspiciously for a long moment. He was always good at seeing straight through her, but he seemed to buy her story for the time being.

They ate in silence for the most part, except for a few questions that Lucy threw out trying to ease the unusual awkwardness that settled over them. “Are you sure you’re okay,” he asked sincerely once he finished his food. “If something is going on, you can tell me,” he said standing to his feet and walking around the desk.

“I’m fine. Never better,” she said standing to her feet herself. She still had to tilt her head back to look up at him towering over her. Tim looked down at her for a moment before capturing her lips with his. Lucy’s arms wrapped around his neck as his hands ran down her side before settling on her hips.

“Hey Sarg,” Lopez said busting through the door with no warning causing the pair to break apart. “First off gross,” she said pointing between the two. “Second at least you still have your clothes on unlike,” she trailed off haunted by the memory causing her to shiver.

“What is it detective Lopez,” Tim asked peeling himself away from Lucy.

“Was just going to see if you could sign this report for me, but it seems like you’re a little busy.”

“I was before you barged in without knocking. Figured one would learn their lesson after the third time,” he teased her. “My wife and I were just finishing up our lunch.”

“And trying for desert,” Lopez quipped from the doorway. “Well since I’ve already disrupted, can you sign this for me,” she asked waving the paper at him.

Tim rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the form. His eyes scanned over the report for a moment before he shook his head. “What did you and Harper do to cause twelve thousand dollars in damage,” he asked looking back up at her.

“Do you really want to know?”

Tim shook his head slowly before quickly signing the paper and extending it back to Angela. “Did he freak out yet,” they heard Harper’s voice before she joined Angela in the doorway. “Oh, Lucy is here. That explains the lack of yelling. Did you walk in on them again?”

“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Lucy said with a laugh. “I’ll see you at home,” she said standing on her tiptoes to kiss him one more time to a chorus of ‘gross’ coming from the door. “You need a breath mint,” she teased him lightly. “I’ll see you later,” she said walking across the office towards the door. “Ladies,” she said slipping between the pair still standing in the doorway.

“Ladies,” they asked confused after Lucy was out of earshot. “What has gotten into her?”

Tim shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

\--

Lucy found herself standing in the middle of a baby shop a few minutes away from the station. She did not want to jump the gun and start assuming the gender, but she needed something that helped her deliver the news to Tim. She was looking at a rack of blank onesies that she could get a message pressed on to, but she didn’t know what to do.

“First one,” a woman asked walking up her seeing the nervous look on Lucy’s face.

Lucy quickly glanced her way. The woman herself looked like she was about to pop. “Uh yeah. You?”

“Third,” she says caressing her stomach. “How far along are you?”

“Seven weeks. Just found out this morning actually.”

“Oh, does dad know yet?”

“No…I want to surprise him somehow, but he’s good at seeing surprises coming. The king of subversive tricks and tactics.”

“With your first one, Oliver, I had a whole dinner and night planned, but in the end, I told him over a McDonald’s milkshake,” she said causing Lucy to laugh.

Lucy walked out of the store with a little white bag and had a few more stops before she headed home to cook them dinner.  
\--

When Tim came home to a home-cooked meal with an over-excited Lucy and even more excited Kojo, he knew something was up. Her demeanor at the station plus this, there was something hinky going on. He tried to enjoy dinner and it was good, but he could not stop himself from worrying about her. What was she not telling him?

When Lucy finally climbed into bed that night, Lucy laid on her side for barely a second before she was rolling over to straddle him. She took the report out his hand and gently tossed it over to the nightstand. Slowly, she brought her lips against his.

“Are you sure you’re okay,” he asked pulling away reluctantly.

“Yes. I am fine,” she says leaning forwards to kiss him again. “We’re fine,” she whispers against his hips before kissing him once more. “Everything is great.”

Tim pulls back once again. “Usually I am all about this,” he says motioning between them. “But you are throwing me up, down, and sideways with all this…”

“This?”

His hands settle on her hips keeping her planted against him. “You bring me lunch to the station on your off day. Never done that before. Cooking dinner? On your off day? Alone,” he questioned curiously. “Plus, this extra cheerfulness plus that smiley face I see every morning. I just want to make sure you are okay.”

“Can’t I just appreciate my husband and love on him? I’m fine. We,” she says motioning between them, “are fine. I’m just in a happy mood and I want to show you how much I love and appreciate you.”

Tim eyes her still not buying it. “Fine,” Lucy huffs rolling her eyes and sliding off him.

“Lucy,” he called after she disappeared out the bedroom door. He was just about to follow after her and apologize when she reappeared holding a brown box with a small blue-ribbon bow. “What is that?”

Smiling, Lucy climbs back on top of him. His hands finding her hips once again, his eyes never leaving the present in her hand almost as if it was going to hurt him. “I know you aren’t big on birthdays and I tried not to make a big deal about this one, but I had to get you something.”

“Lucy…I told you I didn’t want anything,” he said tentatively taking the box into his hands.

“Yeah, well I wanted to get you something so you can cry about it later.”

Tim rolls his eyes pulling the bow off the gift. He sits that top beside them. He starts to sift carefully through the paper. She knew that he was not keen on receiving gifts, she wondered if it was just another part of Tim Bradford that was still running from the past. His eyes snapped to hers when his hand landed on the small cotton outfit. “What is this,” he asks, his throat suddenly running dry. She knows his heart is starting to race just as quickly as hers is.

“Keep going,” she encouraged softly.

Slowly, he pulls the outfit out, his eyes quickly scanning over the words. ‘Daddy’s back up is on the way. Arriving in October’,” he mumbled to himself. “Are you serious?”

“Keep going.”

He looks up at her briefly and Lucy can see the excitement and nerves building in his eyes. He sits the onesie carefully on top of the lid. With a shaking hand, he ruffles through the paper until he pulls out the positive pregnancy test and the ultrasound picture that she had tucked in her visor earlier that day. “Seriously,” he asks looking up, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“Happy birthday,” she cheers with a smile.

Tim flips them over smoothly. The smile on his face only growing wider as he now hovers above her before leaning about and kissing her long and hard until they both run out of breath. “Oh my god,” he exclaimed once they break away. “Holy shit! I’m going to be a dad!”

“Yeah, and you’re going to be a good one.”

Tim looks down at her for a moment before pressing his lips against hers again. He didn’t think that there could ever be anything to make him love her more than he did, but he was wrong. She came into his life at one of the lowest points of his life, but she didn’t give up. She stayed when others left. She was giving him a family. She was making his dreams come true.

Soon there would not be anything missing from their little family.


	3. No Longer Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to write a little chapter to finish this fic off! It felt incomplete! Thank you for all the support on this story! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!! 
> 
> I'm on Tumblr @therookiebook! Come give me some prompt or talk the rookie!!

Tim was panicking. Hell, he was past panicking. He was a mess of emotions as he sat on his hands in the waiting room. They had rushed Lucy back for an emergency c-section after the baby went into distress and there was nothing he could do. A nurse had stopped him just before the swinging door telling him that he could not go any further. He was useless to them now.

He felt helpless sitting in the waiting room surrounded by the people that had long ago become their family. His feet tapping uncontrollably against the carpeted floor. More than once he had pushed himself out of the chair and did a few laps around the small room before finding his way back his chair and starting the process again.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Angela tried to calm him putting a hand on his bouncing leg.

“And if it’s not,” he asked looking up at her with desperate blue eyes. Angela only gave him a timid smile in response before patting his thigh again as an uncomfortable silence settled over the group once again.

“When Henry was born,” John started breaking the silence of the small waiting room, “It was the scariest day of my life. I didn’t have bullets flying at me every other day back then either. Everything is going to be okay. Lucy is a fighter and I know baby B is too,” he tried to encourage.

Tim cut his eyes to the man that was just a handful of years older than himself. Never did he think that he would become friends with the oldest rookie to ever join the force, but he was Lucy’s friend and after a while Tim found himself becoming slightly more friendly with the man. “Thanks,” he said shortly looking back down at the floor.

He had counted forty-two minutes since they had rolled her back. Forty-two minutes since he was stopped at the swinging doors unable to go any farther. Forty-two minutes since he saw that look of fear on her face as she looked back at him as they disappeared around the corner. He could not stop the fear from crawling over him that he would not get to see her again. It scared him. It terrified him just the thought that she would be gone from his life. She had saved him when he was drowning in the deep end even if she would never know it. He would never be able to repay her for the new chance at life that she gave him, for their family that was just around the corner.

“Tim,” Grace’s voice called from the doorway had him on his feet in an instant. She motioned for him to walk over and she held the door open as the two disappeared down the hallway. His heart pounding harder with each step that he took. She did not say a word as they continued to walk. He was looking every for any sign of Lucy, for any sign of their child, yet he found nothing in the empty hallway. “This way,” Grace said quietly stopping to push a door open. “You’ll need one of these,” she said extending a yellow gown his way. “And this,” she continued handing him a standard surgical cap and a mask.

Tim put everything on quickly. The quicker he did, the quicker he got to see Lucy. Grace smiled his way before walking through a sliding door that led to the operating room. He swallowed heavily, his feet feeling like concrete as he followed behind her. Never had he felt the relief that he did seeing her awake on the table, the heart monitor confirming that his eyes were not playing a trick on him.

“Hey,” he whispered leaning over her so that she could see him.

“Hey,” she replied, he saw the tension leave her face when her eyes landed on him. He knew she could not see his smile behind the mask, but it was there and it felt good. “Boy or girl,” she asked locking eyes with him.

“You don’t know,” he asked confused.

Lucy shook her head the best she could. “We said we would find out together when the time came. The time is here, and I can’t really get off this table to check myself,” she played.

Tim rolled his eyes looking down at her. Quickly, he pulled his mask down and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips before standing back up. Tim had to calm his nerves as he walked around the table towards the small huddle of nurses that were gathered around the infant as they did their routines duties. “Are you ready dad,” one asked as Tim approached. He nervously shook his head, as they turned holding the baby wrapped in a blanket out for him to take.

His hands were shaking as he took the silent infant in his arms, being extra careful to support the neck as he held the baby close. It was a surreal feeling having their child in his arms, enough to bring tears to his eyes as he looked down at the little one wrapped in the blanket. He made a promise in that little moment that they had to themselves that he would be the best father that he could be. He would never treat their child like his father treated him.

Slowly, he walked back over to Lucy. “It’s a girl,” he said gently lowing the baby where Lucy could get a good look at their daughter. An infectious smile spread across her face looking at the infant swaddled in the standard hospital blanket with a soft pink beanie.

“It’s a girl,” she repeated softly, her own eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Zoe,” she whispered.

Tim nodded slowly. “Zoe,” he confirmed looking down at their daughter in his arms.

\--

Tim walked out of the operating room on cloud nine. Everything and everyone was okay. Their daughter was perfectly healthy and beautiful. Lucy was okay. They would be moving Lucy to her own room shortly and Zoe would be joining them. He felt as if he was the luckiest man, his wife was a warrior and she was going to be just fine. His newborn daughter was healthy and beyond beautiful in his opinion.

The stress and worry that he was carrying rolled off his back as he walked down the hallway back towards the waiting room. He threw the gown he was wearing in a trashcan along with the cap before he walked back through the doors to the waiting room.

Instantly all eyes were on him as he walked into the room. Tim could not stop the smile from spreading across his face. His heart was overflowing with love and pride. “Zoe Angela Bradford. 6.9 pounds, 19 inches. Perfectly healthy,” he said proudly, a smile stationed on his face as the others cheered.

Angela was the first to wrap her arms around him. Hugging him tightly as a few tears leaked from her eyes onto his shirt. “You named your kid after me,” she said in partial disbelief.

“We wanted to give her a badass name. Lucy picked the name and I got the middle name. Named her after two badass women. Plus, she’s named after her godmother.”

Everyone eventually got to hug or shake the proud father’s hand once Angela finally let go of him. “Tim,” Grace said poking her head out of the door. “We’re moving her.”

Tim looked her way and nodded before looking back at the group before him. “They are moving Lucy to a room and Zoe will be joining us shortly. I’ll let y’all know when she’s up for visitors, but that might not be till tomorrow,” he said moving to follow behind Grace walking down the hallway.

“Hey Tim,” Grey called after him before he could disappear behind the door. “You’re going to be a great dad.”

“Thanks,” he said quietly to the older man before he disappeared catching up to Grace as they started to roll Lucy out of the operating room towards the elevator with Zoe following behind.

His life felt complete. That brown-headed little girl that he held in his arms was the missing piece that he never thought he needed until it was possible that he could have it. For the time being their little family was complete. That missing piece of the puzzle came in a brown-headed little girl that had already stolen his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated!


End file.
